New York – January 25 2018 – The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the Drama Performer Pre-Nominations for the 45th Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards

“We are excited to officially launch the 45th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards with this list of extremely talented actors and actresses Our 45th Anniversary show promises to be a star-studded gala filled with lots of surprises” said David Michaels Senior Vice President of the Daytime Emmy Awards and Executive Producer

The process used to determine those chosen as Pre-Nominated performers follows:

An online judging ballot containing all entrants in each of four performer categories (Lead Actor and Actress and Supporting Actor and Actress) was sent to all registered eligible peer judges The ballot contained a randomized order of performers in each category regardless of their show affiliation Judges were required to view clips online containing the work of each performer entry before selecting their top 10 performer choices in each category Please note that there are 11 Lead Actresses due to exact ties in the voting

Ballots were submitted directly to Lutz & Carr Inc an independent accounting firm who tabulated the results The candidates below who received the highest number of votes now advance to the blue ribbon screening round scheduled to begin on February 22 2018 which will determine both nominees and recipients Please note that this release also contains the names of the entrants for the Younger Actor and Actress categories who will proceed directly to the Blue Ribbon Round Nominations will be announced on Wednesday March 21 2018 live on “The Talk” on CBS

Daytime Emmy Awards 2018

The preliminary round of nominations in major drama categories were unveiled on Thursday, January 25, 2018 followed by the official announcement of nominees (see below) announced on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, live on “The Talk” on CBS.

Next, mark your calendar for the 2018 Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony, when winners are announced on Sunday, April 29, 2018.

ABC’s General Hospital leads the soap opera pack with 26 nominations, followed by NBC’s Days of Our Lives and CBS’ The Young and the Restless with 25 nods each.

As happened last year, instead of a live television broadcast, audiences will be able to livestream the 2018 Daytime Emmy Awards online via Facebook, Twitter and the Daytime Emmys website. On hand to host the show will be Mario Lopez of Extra and Sheryl Underwood of The Talk.

Honored at this year’s ceremony will be the “dynamic duo” of Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes who will be presented with the LIfetime Achievement Award for their iconic roles on “Days of Our Lives”.

Daytime Emmys Senior Vice President David Michaels said in a statement, “The scope of their work across the television, film and stage landscape is amazing. Their continuing roles of almost 50 years on ‘Days of Our Lives,’ where they also met and married, is a daytime story like no other!”

Meanwhile, keep it here for more updates — including the full list of nominees, presenters, and the ultimate winners at this year’s landmark 45th annual Daytime Emmys.

• The first Emmy Awards for daytime were given out at the primetime ceremony in 1972, when The Doctors won the first “Best Show Daytime” Emmy.

• Actress Susan Lucci was famous for her iconic role as Erica Kane in All My Children, due in part for being nominated 19 times and never winning. In an emotion-filled ceremony, Lucci finally won for Best Actress in 1999.

• Talk show host Ellen Degeneres holds the record for most Daytime Emmy Awards with 29.

• Actress Erika Slezak has received the most wins (six) for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live.

• For Best Actor in a Drama Series, Anthony Geary has won a record eight times for his role as Luke Spencer on General Hospital.

• The most awarded game show ever at the Daytime Emmys? That would be Jeopardy! with 15 wins.